Tarkwa Nsuaem’s flooding is primarily caused by illegal mining, according to NADMO

In the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, recurring floods have been linked by the National Disaster Management Organisation to the operations of illegal miners in river bodies.

The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipalities saw major flooding following a week of continuous rain in about fifteen settlements.

New Takyiman, Nsuaem, Nkwanta, Bonsa, Jerusalem, Esuoso, Benso, Bonsawire, Efuanta, Kyekyerewere, Simpa, Aglika, and Adiyie are just a few of the places that are impacted.

Some of these villages experienced flooding for over a week, which resulted in the loss of property, the eviction of some residents, the collapse of several structures, and other outcomes.

In all, 10 villages evaluated by NADMO thus far reported over 472 families with 974 victims, including children and adults.

Francis Amoah, the NADMO Director for Tarkwa Nsuaem, said in an interview that while the entire nation was affected by the rain, Tarkwa felt the effects the most severely, calling them “overwhelming.”

“Most of these settlements were under water for days due to the intense rains.
And due to the severity of the flood, there was no way for us to get closer to them; as a result, we had to wait for the flood to pass before we could do that, he stated.

“As we speak, we are still visiting the several villages to evaluate the situation and determine the level of help we can provide. There aren’t many towns left for us to visit, he continued.

Despite the fact that the country as a whole was damaged, Mr. Amoah claimed that “The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality suffered greatly as a result.”

He linked this to the illicit mining operations on the municipality’s main waterway, the Bonsa waterway. He clarified that the river’s boundaries has broadened due to the unlawful actions on it, which has caused it to spread.

According to him, “some of these activities have changed the course of the water, allowing it to flow freely in another direction, which ultimately floods people’s homes.”

He cited the incident at Esuoso, where illegal miners piled silt under the bridge on the Esuoso River, changing the river’s path.
The NADMO Municipal Director reiterated that the illegal miners continued to conduct their illicit activities on the river with the use of canoes even after the river had overflowed its banks.

Residents of the neighbourhood who live close to the river bodies were asked by him to move to higher land so that they would not be impacted by a similar event.
To prevent any potential effects of flooding within the municipality, he also pleaded with regulatory organisations to uphold the regulations on small-scale mining.

According to Mr. Amoah, the assembly received some relief supplies from the Ghana Manganese, which were then given to the Bonsa victims.

He mentioned that there are preparations to acquire some aid supplies to provide to the other victims.